Stagg EKG – Production Status Update

Since Stagg EKG’s launch back in December, we’ve been keeping our highly-caffeinated Kickstarter backers in the loop with frequent updates. We’ve shared the ups and downs (more ups than downs), product tweaks (you guys gave great suggestions), and Jake’s blurry photos from the production line (Jake needs to work on camera steadiness when he gets excited). Well, we’ve also had non-Kickstarter backers pre-order Stagg EKG after the campaign ended. Since this group of folks doesn’t receive our updates via the Kickstarter platform, we wanted to share the current kettle status as it stands today! Here it goes…

Stagg EKG is ALMOST yours for the pursuit of liquid concoction excellence. What does “almost” mean? Almost means the first batch of Stagg EKGs are off the production line. Almost means champagne has been purchased but not officially popped in our office. We’re so close, guys.

In order to guarantee that Stagg EKG is everything you hoped for and more, we organized a pre-shipment inspection (PSI) on September 21. A PSI is a third party audit on the final products to ensure our quality specifications are hit. In addition to a PSI audit, we performed a 100% QC on the production line. Every single kettle we produced was brought to boil and then dry boiled to ensure the safety features are working. Finally, we developed a 10-point test we performed on each kettle to ensure all features are functioning before shipment (C/F toggle, Hold toggle, temperature adjustment, screen pixel functionality, etc.). Your kettle, it’s going to be slick, folks. We seriously can’t wait for you to open the box and put our pride and joy on your kitchen table or in your cafe.

On September 25, this first batch of Stagg EKGs were shipped from China, but in two different forms. First, we air shipped 80 units to Kickstarter backers who opted for an early ship option from a survey we sent out last month. Since then, these units made it from China to our warehouse in Oakland, Calif. (3-4 days transit), and we turned these 80 units around immediately and shipped them out.

At the same time those Stagg EKGs were loaded onto an airplane, the rest of the batch was sent via shipping container. Let’s hope Stagg EKG packed Dramamine because transit time is roughly 25 days on the water. When the kettles come ashore next week, we’ll work our butts off to turn them around and ship them straight to you. If everything goes as we estimate, everyone else should receive their Stagg EKGs the last week of October.

Stagg EKG+

Kickstarter backers and pre-orderers alike, if you’re in the Stagg EKG+ camp, don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten about our connected kettle. We’ve produced all of the components for your order, but we are still working through software and Bluetooth integration. Once we have this completed and tested, we will be ready to pull the trigger on EKG+ production. Please know that Acaia and Fellow are making this a priority. We’ll keep you updated in the coming weeks as we progress.